French punk rock band Nightwatchers released a new single, called “White Fathers,” on Friday.
This is the second single from the band’s sophomore album, “Common Crusades,” which will be released by Lövely Records on October 8. The first single was “1905 and the Muslim Exception,” which criticizes France’s colonization and Christianization of Algeria.
“White Fathers” continues this narrative, being named for a Catholic missionary group developed in France by Cardinal Charles Lavigerie in 1868. The group is also known as the Missionaries of Africa and is still active today.
“Cardinal Charles Lavigerie, founding member of the White Fathers, played a central role in justifying French colonization in Africa in the name of the fight against ‘Muslim barbarism,’” explained guitarist and vocalist Julien Virgos.
Virgos also said the single’s lyrics are adapted from a speech delivered by Lavigerie to the French army.
Nightwatchers is no stranger to political themes in music. The four-piece band from Toulouse, France released their first album, “La Paix Ou Le Sable,” in 2019. With lyrics based on academic works, this album also delivers heavy criticism of France’s occupation in Algeria as well as Indochina and Cameroon.
The single can be streamed here.
